The largest pay leap of a poker event is regularly the one between the champion and the runner-up. The heads-up showdown on the 2025 Merit Poker Classic Millions $10,000 championship occasion featured an particularly large swing, because the $1,000,000 assured prime prize meant a $700,000 distinction between successful and ending second.
Two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Boris Kolev was the participant that got here away with the title and the seven-figure prime payout. The Bulgarian defeated Mehdi Chaoui of Morocco heads-up. Kolev had entered the heads-up showdown with practically an 8:1 chip benefit. Chaoui was finally knocked out because the runner-up, incomes $300,000 for his efforts.
This was the primary million-dollar payday for Kolev, who now has practically $5.5 million in profession event earnings to his title. Prior to this victory, his prime rating had been the $511,184 he was awarded on the champion of the $5,000 no-limit maintain’em eight-max occasion on the 2021 WSOP.
The occasion ran from April 9-13 on the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa in Cyprus. The prize pool of $1,950,000 was paid out throughout the highest 9 finishers, with the min-cash clocking in at $35,400. Oleg Semionov was eradicated on the bubble, along with his flopped straight being outrun by the rivered flush of Aleksandr Kirichenko.
Outside of Kolev, Russia’s Andrey Pateychuk was probably the most completed participant on the closing desk. The World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour champion got here into this occasion with greater than $5.3 million in profession cashes. Pateychuk ultimately bowed out in seventh place ($55,000), along with his A-8 working into the pocket tens of Aleksandr Kirichenko.
#MillionsEvent Day3
Blinds are 300K/600K/600K
Average stack 31M
7/212On the final hand earlier than the break.
Andrey Pateychuk from the small blind shoved 10800K.
On the large bling with 75M Aleksandr Kirichenko made the decision!Andrey Pateychuk A 8
Aleksandr Kirichenko 10 10… pic.twitter.com/qRdcw7jTwk— Merit Poker (@meritpokerlive) April 13, 2025
Kolev scored the entire knockouts from 5 gamers down to at least one, which accounted for his sizable lead getting into heads-up play. In the ultimate hand, Kolev shoved from the button with A
Q
and Chaoui referred to as with A
3. The board ran out 55
478 and Kolev’s queen kicker participant to earn him the pot and the title.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points |
| 1 | Boris Kolev | $1,000,000 | 900 |
| 2 | Mehdi Chaoui | $300,000 | 750 |
| 3 | Romans Lihacovs | $200,000 | 600 |
| 4 | Aleksandr Kirichenko | $140,000 | 450 |
| 5 | Rafael Aslani | $100,000 | 375 |
| 6 | Maksim Shornikau | $75,000 | 300 |
| 7 | Andrey Pateychuk | $55,000 | 225 |
| 8 | Ali Al-Kubasi | $45,000 | 150 |
| 9 | Alexander Lakhov | $35,400 | 75 |
Photo credit score: Merit Poker.
